Canadian among winners of Kitchen Design Contest

Sub-Zero and Wolf – the industry leaders in premium refrigeration, wine storage and cooking equipment – announced the global winners of their 2010-2012 Kitchen Design Contest at an awards dinner last week in Madison, Wis., home of the Sub-Zero and Wolf corporate headquarters.

The contest’s judges evaluated more than 1,600 entries from all over the world to determine 54 regional finalists and then seven grand-prize winners based on superior use of space, beautiful kitchen design, and integration of Sub-Zero and Wolf products in kitchen projects. Cash prizes were given to global winners in the design categories of First Place Traditional/Transitional Kitchen, First Place Contemporary Kitchen, Second Place, Third Place, Designer’s Choice Award, People’s Choice Award and North American Student Winner.

The Kitchen Design Contest is our way of honoring the design community and the significant role they play in making Sub-Zero and Wolf household names when it involves beautiful and innovative kitchen design,” says Michele Bedard, vice president of marketing for Sub-Zero and Wolf. “This is our 10th installment of the prestigious Kitchen Design Contest, and we’re so pleased that we saw the most entries to date. The global winners truly represent the best of the best in kitchen design. Their projects wowed judges and showcased achievement in both aesthetic and functional design.”

In the category of First Place Traditional/Transitional Kitchen, Karen Williams of St. Charles of New York, Inc. (New York) took top honours. Kitchen Design Contest judge Jamie Drake described traditional-style kitchens as those with classical elements, symmetry, elegance and a richness of materials, adding that Williams’ winning design “encompasses all of that with precision and warmth.” Williams’ winning entry is a kosher kitchen that incorporates multiple functional elements to engage the participation of the home’s teenage children.

In the category of First Place Contemporary Kitchen, Davy Swanenberg of Culimaat Kitchens (Berlicum, Netherlands) was named the grand-prize winner. Kitchen Design Contest judge E.J. Meade said that the judging panel looked for a great level of innovation in the contemporary-style kitchens and that they unanimously agreed on the excellence of Swanenberg’s design. Meade described the project as “a kitchen of contrasts” that was “tempered with a playful use of materials and surfaces,” “rigorously detailed,” and one that the judges deemed a work of art. Swanenberg was named a global winner as a first-time Kitchen Design Contest entrant.

In the category of Second Place (any style kitchen), Canadian Friedemann Weinhardt of Design First Interiors (Ottawa) was named the winner. Kitchen Design Contest judge Doug Durbin shared that the first time the judging panel saw this design, they knew they would be talking about it at the awards ceremony, and judge Joanne Hudson described the design as one “where space and product become one.” Weinhardt, whose winning entry was a contemporary-style kitchen, is a seven-time regional winner of the Kitchen Design Contest.

In the category of Third Place (any style kitchen), Lana Grineva, Alexandra Loginova and Yana Bespamyatnova of Philosophy of Design (Moscow) were named winners. Kitchen Design Contest judge Matthew Quinn described their contemporary-style kitchen as “very ethereal,” “provocative,” a kitchen with “amazing light” and “supremely elegant.”

Two additional design category winners were determined via online voting. The Designer’s Choice award recognized an outstanding project as determined by the design community. Nearly 1,000 members of the trade participated in the vote, naming Caroline DeCesare of DeCesare Design Group (Mesa, Ariz.) the Designer’s Choice winner for her traditional-style design. New to the 2010-2012 Kitchen Design Contest, the People’s Choice award was determined by members of the public via voting on Facebook. Nearly 4,000 consumers voted, and Cristina Menezes of Cristina Menezes Arquitetura e Decorçãao Ltda. (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) was named the People’s Choice winner for her contemporary-style kitchen.

A North American student winner was also honoured at the Kitchen Design Contest awards dinner. Judge Durbin shared that “it’s really special to see what young minds are doing with design and how they are applying technology to our craft.” Jennifer Durbin, a student at the Art Institute of Houston (Houston), was named the winner.

The 2010-2012 Kitchen Design Contest’s 54 regional winners were honored at a winners’ conference May 20-22 in Madison, Wis. The conference included an awards dinner; product education; and a keynote speech from John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design and a leading academic, author and computer scientist.

Eligibility for the Kitchen Design Contest required that all design and construction be fully completed within the contest period of January 1, 2010, through October 31, 2012. Qualifying designs had to include at least one full-size Sub-Zero built-in or integrated refrigeration unit and at least one Wolf cooking appliance as primary food preparation equipment, including ranges, rangetops, ovens and cooktops. For more information on the contest, visit subzero-wolf.com/contest.